10/07/2013

If you're lucky enough to be heading to Hong Kong this summer, make sure to swot up on the best places to shop vintage, courtesy of DIY blogger Geneva of A Pair & a Spare...

Top thing to look out for when you're shopping second-hand?

I keep my eye out for beautiful fabrics and patterns, and then use DIY to alter the pieces into what become wardrobe staples.

Your biggest second-hand bargain - what was it, and where did you find it?

I found the most amazing black beaded jacket in a secondhand store when I was living in London for 5 pounds, it's easily one of my most treasured possessions! I also have an amazing printed dress I found here in Hong Kong and reworked from a collared dress into a mini - the tribal print is out of this world!

Is it weird or wonderful (or both) to give someone’s old clothes a second life?

I love it - secondhand shopping is an addiction of mine and I always update and rework the pieces I find to create a brand new piece.

What would we expect to find if we went vintage-hunting in Hong Kong?

You have to look hard in Hong Kong, Chinese people don't like wearing secondhand clothes as they are superstitious about the person who wore them previously. But that can mean if you happen to stumble upon a great store it's overflowing with great pieces, because it is unlikely to have been picked over.

Cat Street Markets, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Island The perfect place to stumble upon a forgotten piece of treasure in the cave like junk shops.

Mee & Gee, Li Yuen Street, West Central A mix between a vintage and seconds store, with most of the stock from Japan snap up some insanely cheap secondhand goodies.

Mid-west Vintage,Shop 58, G/F Victoria Centre, 15 Watson Road, Tin Hau This amazing shop has a cornucopia of secondhand pieces from the US and is well worth a look.